tax lien
Illinois tax lien guide
Illinois annual sales award certificates at a bid redemption penalty rather than a simple annual interest rate. The supported model covers ordinary occupied residential property with six or fewer units; other classifications, scavenger sales, and extensions are excluded.
Source review applies to the named instrument and scope in the worked example below. It does not cover every county procedure or transaction in Illinois.
When does the clock start?
Ordinary bid-penalty periods start at the tax sale. Subsequent tax payments have their own payment dates.
How and when is a return earned?
Winning penalty repeats for each six-month period or fraction
What amount earns a return?
Amount sold including statutory certificate items, excluding the nonrefundable section 21-295 fee.
What happens at redemption?
For certificates governed by the July 10, 2026 change, §21-350 states three years generally and one year for specified vacant, large residential, commercial, or industrial property.
When does earning end?
A tax-deed petition and notice compliance remain necessary; purchase does not give possession.
Does property use change the rules?
Classification sources checked 2026-09-15. Review applies to the procedures described below; calculator support is stated separately.
Classification on the sale date matters. Vacant nonfarm property, residential property with seven or more units, and commercial or industrial property have a one-year redemption period under section 21-350. Farm land is not automatically vacant nonfarm property.
For certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026, the general period is three years. Earlier certificates require the applicable prior law; extensions and special sale procedures need separate review.
What to verify before bidding
Confirm certificate issuance and sale dates, farm classification, occupancy, residential unit count, sale procedure and any recorded extension.
What this calculator covers
The example is limited to ordinary occupied residential property with no more than six units. It does not price every property class or determine the final redemption deadline. Its illustration horizon is not the statutory deadline.
Try the rules
A worked redemption example
Illinois private annual-sale residential certificate. Original private purchase only, no subsequent taxes, added costs, partial payments, special status, bankruptcy, court action or deadline extension. Occupied residential property with no more than six units; excludes county trustee purchases, scavenger sales and extensions.
Amount sold including statutory certificate items, excluding the nonrefundable section 21-295 fee.
The prefilled amounts and any collector conventions below are illustrative assumptions. Confirm those facts for an actual holding.
How the return grows
Redemption premiums over time.
Original private purchase only, no subsequent taxes, added costs, partial payments, special status, bankruptcy, court action or deadline extension. Occupied residential property with no more than six units; excludes county trustee purchases, scavenger sales and extensions.
View values at each change
| Date | Interest and premium |
|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2026 | $50.00 |
| Sep 16, 2026 | $100.00 |
| Mar 16, 2027 | $150.00 |
| Sep 16, 2027 | $200.00 |
| Mar 16, 2028 | $250.00 |
| Aug 31, 2028 | $250.00 |
Winning penalty repeats for each six-month period or fraction Values use the inputs above and the same calculator as the worked example.
- Interest
- $0.00
- Minimum top-up at redemption
- $0.00
- Redemption premium
- $50.00
- Statutory interest and premium at redemption
- $50.00
Estimated repayment including the documented base: $1,050.00.
- 1 six-month penalty periods at 5% each. The exact six-month anniversary remains in the earlier period. This is a redemption penalty, not daily interest.
- Conditional investor proceeds at redemption; excludes later advances and expenses. This is not recognized accounting income or a collector payoff quote.
Illustrative statutory components only, not investment profit. Nonrefundable overbids and fees can produce a loss even when interest is earned. Cash receipts, property value, sale proceeds and booked income are separate.
Before you bid
What to watch for
- Do not apply the county-trustee monthly rule to every private bidder’s certificate.
- Calculator scope: Original private purchase only, no subsequent taxes, added costs, partial payments, special status, bankruptcy, court action or deadline extension. Occupied residential property with no more than six units; excludes county trustee purchases, scavenger sales and extensions.
Read the rules
Official sources
Use the governing law and the county’s sale terms to confirm the rules for your certificate or deed.
Keep reading
Related guides
Compare nearby states, then return to the full library or the product page that matches this instrument.